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leighvtwersky
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Hi. Does anyone know if there's any special etiquette regarding pen names when approaching agents/publishers??
Do you submit your work in your real name and then, if they're interested, casually slip in that you want to be published under a pen name??
Or do you approach them under your pen name and let them know later what your real name is??
Or are both ways acceptable??
Just asking because I feel I want to start submitting my work off again, but would like to use a pen name, and wondered if anyone knew if there was a right way of going about it.
All responses gratefully received.
Good luck everyone
Regards
Leigh
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dannyg
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Sorry, Leigh, I have no idea. Have you thought about emailing an agent and asking? Yes, they're busy, but I'm sure one of them would be willing to send off a quick answer to this.
Will You Love me Tomorrow is now available on Amazon. Click to find out more.
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KRobb
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I don't know if this is good advice but I'd have thought you should stick to your real name to avoid confusion to start with. Time enough to talk about pen names once publication is on the cards. At which point your publisher might have their own ideas.
I think I read on Doug Jackson's blog that Caligula is by 'Douglas Jackson' because the publisher preferred it or it looked better on the jacket, or something. Maybe you should ask him whether he got any say in the matter?
K
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eilidh
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I've been told by authors who use a pen name or even more - and of course this may not be correct or not the only way of doing it - that you sign your email / query letter with your real name, but add a line Joe Doe writes under the pen name Jane Doe. Your cover letter of your partial or manuscript has your pen name on it, and so your header of your pages. Only at the very end, or somewhere else you should refer to your real name, with the line again: Jane Doe is the pen name of Joe Doe.
This post was last edited by eilidh, 13 Aug 2008, 22:30
Keep writing. 
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demolinero
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When submitting, I write or e-mail using my real name, then after saying yours, etc, xxxxx I add (writing as Elizabeth Jasper). My story is always xxx by Elizabeth Jasper, but in a footer, in tiny print, in brackets, I put my initials, real surname, copyright symbol and the year. Hope this helps.
-Demolinero Find me at at http://www.elizabethjasper.com
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Kasia
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just interested as to why you use a pen name? I know some authors use one if they want to write in a different genre, but why would an unpublished writer? Just curious.
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benkelly
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There's a published writer of sci-fi under my real name.
"Suck it up, say thank you and move on."
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demolinero
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Why use a pen-name? My real name is instantly forgettable! It's Liz Miller and I've been called Liz Turner, Liz Wheeler, Liz Baker - anything that's an old-fashioned occupation. -Liz
-Demolinero Find me at at http://www.elizabethjasper.com
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sophiemp
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I think you use your real name up until publication. There's a place in the contract to specify the name you'll be publishing under.
You want the check made out to YOU, don't you?
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dannyg
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Quote: sophiemp, Thursday, 14 Aug 2008 15:45You want the check made out to YOU, don't you? I seem to recall Spider Man having that problem, once.
Will You Love me Tomorrow is now available on Amazon. Click to find out more.
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leighvtwersky
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Cheers everyone for your response. I suppose it is best to use my real name, and IF I get lucky, then I can decide what name to publish under.
Far more important is to arrive in that situation first...
And yes, it would be immensely irritating to receive a (hopefully fat) cheque I couldn't use.
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eilidh
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There are a couple of reasons to use a pen name. For instance a writer of Erotica (so word it nicely) doesn't want to have his family shunned for writing porn. Another one is a name that requires certain skills to be pronounced. Or, a well-known sci-fi thriller writer wants to go for historical romance and fears his readership gets a shock. 
This post was last edited by eilidh, 15 Aug 2008, 13:03
Keep writing.
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Kasia
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i think Liz Miller is a great name - it's short and easy to remember.
I can certainly see why, if there is already a writer out there with the same name that you would have to use a pen.
And yes, i guess for Erotica writer, they may want to keep some anonymity - better not have a jacket photo done then.
Thanks for the comments - all interesting. I am so nosy.
Kx
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Pixiemc
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i write using a pen name for the simple reason that some of my work is based on fact. I therefore changed my name to protect the guilty. when you actually work in Soho, you get used to using other names anyway. As to how to submit it to a publisher, I would go with the formula of adding Jane Doe is the pen name of John Doe. Also, as to why an unpublished writer would bother to use a pen name, may I suggest that it's not a bad idea to get into what you want to go with from the start and, judging by the quality of work on here there are a fair few that will not remain unpublished for long i shouldn't think
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Pen name or real name for approaching agents etc??
13 Aug 2008, 21:26
